Sanitary eyeshade



June 3, 1941. I R Q SEELEY 2,243,982

SANITARY EYESHADE Filed Sept. 25, 1939 Z6 Z7 for C 5:225) INVENTOR. Z4Z5 BY 6 I AT TOR BY.-

Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE SANITARY EYESHADE Roy0. Seeley, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 25, 1939, Serial No. 296,405

2 Claims.

The present invention pertains to an improved light weight, readilymanufactured, unitary eyeshade or device adapted to be Worn over theeyes for the. purpose of preventing light from disturbing the rest orsleep of the wearer.

Eyeshades have been used by numerous individuals suffering frominsomnia, or particularly sensitive to light or illumination. Manypersons can not rest or sleep unless they are in substantially totaldarkness and for that reason do not relax and rest during daylight hourseven though their occupation or circumstances make it desirable thatthey sleep. Prior devices used for similar purposes have been expensive,bulky and in many instances uncomfortable to wear. Furthermore, repeateduse of prior devices causes the same to absorb perspiration and bodyoils which render the devices disagreeable, soiled and unpleasant.

The present invention is primarily directed toward a very effective butsimplified form of eyeshade which, by reason of its simplicity andinexpensive character, may be discarded after use, thereby permittingthe wearer to use a clean and unsoiled eyeshade without excessiveexpenditures. Furthermore, certain of the forms of eyeshade hereinafterdisclosed not only protect the eyes of the wearer from disturbing lightbut also include means whereby the wearer may effectively preventextraneous noises from disturbing his rest.

An object of the present invention, therefore,

is to provide a simple, inexpensive, light weightlight weight eyeshade.

A further object of the present invention is to disclose and provide aneyeshade providedwith means for protecting the eyes from extraneouslight and simultaneously protecting the wearer from disturbance due toextraneous noise.

Other uses, advantages, adaptations and. modifications of the inventionwill become apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdetailed description and from the drawing appended hereto, which drawingshows a number of modifications and illustrative forms.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one form of eyeshade of this invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which the device may be used.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 illustrate modified forms of the device.

The eyeshades of the present invention may be made of any suitable lightweight, virtually opaque, fibrous or felted material such as, forexample, paper preferably uncalendered and soft and flexible. The deviceitself may be made out of a number of laminations of very light weightporous and absorbent webs, films or tissues of fibrous material suitablypressed, felted or cemented together, or the device may be made of aunitary web of material of slightly heavier gage than the individualsheets of a laminated form. Those skilled in the art of papermanufacture will readily appreciate the variety of types of paper whichmay be employed, it being remembered that the device should bepractically opaque and still relatively soft and flexible so as not toinclude sharp edges or folds which might cause discomfort to the wearer.

As shown in Fig. 1, the device, generally indicated at I0, may comprisea piece of fibrous material having the end portions II and I2, thedevice It] being of sufiicient length to extend from ear to ear andacross the eyes of a wearer. If desired, the body portion 13 of thedevice is of a width sufficient to extend from the eyebrows of a wearerto the cheek of the wearer and such width may vary from about 2% inchesto 3 /2 inches although these measurements are exemplary only. Moreover,the end portions II and [2 may be displaced from the longitudinal axisof the body portion 13, the end portions II and I2 in Fig. 1 being showndisplaced downwardly from the longitudinal axis of the body portion l3.The end portions H and I2 are pref- *erably formed as an integral partof the body portion l3 and are connected to such body portion by meansof sections of a reduced width, such reduction in width being indicatedat between the points l4 and I5.

Each of the end portions II and 12 may have a slit or cut made'ther-ein,each of such slits or cuts being arcuate in form as indicated at I? andforming an approximately triangular or C-shaped opening in the ends,thus liberating a tab-like member I8 attached to the constricted portionof the body I3. The fibrous material between the slit I1 and the outeredge of the end ll forms a loop I9 adapted to be placed around the earof the wearer, the tab l8 overlying the opening to theear when thedevice 7 is in position. This tab l8 may be permitted to overlie thisopening or it may be crumbled and inserted into the opening of the earas more particularly shown in Fig. 2, which illustrates the manner inwhich the device may be used.

' iorlmedbeirigadapted.to' accommodate the nos By referring to Fig. 2 itwill be seen that the ing end sections 28 and 29, these tapering end ypo o l3 0f t e device covers the eyes of sections terminating inenlargements 30 and 3|. the wearer and because of its flexibility, 0011-These enlargements 3B and 3| may be crumbled forms to the contours ofthe features, excluding to form a ball or plug adapted to be insertedinto extraneous light from impinging upon the eyes. 5 the ears of thewearer. Obviously, Whenever The ear 20 of the wearer extends through theso desired the tapering sections 28 and 29 may -S flped Opening o ed bythe S t H, the be provided with wrinkles, corrugations or other loop 19now holding the device in position on deformations from the plane of thematerial so the head of the wearer. The tab-like member as to permitlengthening if this is deemed desirl8 has been crumbled and pressedlightly into 10 able. Moreover, the body portion 53 may be theopeninglof the ear as indicated at I95. It proyidedlwith aslit suchja's,21/(Fig. v3) or an is to be understood that the opposing end l2indentation adapted to"receive the nose. In-

of the device has been similarly placed over the h stead of a slit, thebody portion may be crinkled other ear of the wearer. When used in theinthe middle to permit stretching over the nose. manner described, thewearer is protected net le. A,sti 1l further modification is illustratedin only from noise but the wearer may rest with Fig. ififAs there shown,the body portion i3 is out disturbance from light, such asexcessiy'eqdayr provided withdbwnwardly directed ends 32 and light orthe light of flashing signs. It ls to, 33. Thelowenportion of the bodymay be probe further noted that the crumbledtabs lfihss'i'st vid'e'dwith indentation as. The portions 32 n holding the device n position.eolpandsalr'r'iay comprise flaps adapted to cover the Fig. 3 shows aslightly modified forrnnf clerics. ears or such ends maybe crumbled lpandinserte, in hi h, t b d p r i & war ed-W t d nto thee rl fo d rt cilit e ti n v a slit'2l eXtendingf fron1 1e edge thereo'fguni ofth'e'devicejon lthefwearenfa sol'ution' of gum Wardly. and, inward y,jsucl r I it being adapted arabicQgu to accommodate nose "gf jthe wearerthe re A tragacanth or other vegfetab le gu or material havin'g s'oniedhesive r o t e' i ay permittingjthe' bod ion 13: to mo re' clofsely beappliedtothe inner isu fac'e of the device at, contact with the earsan'dfpneitherside of th e Q portions' normally coyierhigfthe temples as,for nose'and thereby more positively excluding light exampe; 'atlfi and36. Thesev portions, when from the eyes. It is also t'o be notedth'atinthe: form of device shown in. Fig. 3, theporistricted' portions,generally indicated at,22 and 23,1haye beencrinklcdso'that the endportion'slll and l 2:01 the device, may be grasped and the overallnsthof the device, c eased.W end siredh crinkled portion's 22 and 23permitting a certain; amount. of; expansion to take place',' tvhi ch offcoursef aids" the deyice in conforming to the; features, and thus aidsitin itsfunctionf of 36x eluding light. When thisfeature, is incorporatedin the, devicelit is preferabl elthatthe' strip be 7 constructed ofslightly shorter length than ,the dista c tw ent poin so'f attachme t ot I. wearefslears, thus necessitatinghthat strip be tensionedslightlywhen jit is placed inLo'p'f -f erative positioi jyith the result thatthe security of it's mounting upon the. 'personjsj'features is fjenhanced a I it The ,devic e shownin Fig. 4 distinguishes from l.,Anfeyesh ade comnrisinga unitary piece of dd claims are'embraced a aint e s inf t 'w ere e es he fications coming within 7 thosepreviouslydescribedinthat'thefbddypork I fieigiblelfpliia t'jsubstatially lo'p aq ue material of tion ,l3 inc 1ude's fan"upwardly'idirec'ted 'j sloflhavf- 50 .a length suffic ent toexte'n'dfrom ear to 'ear'and 1 ing thegdgefiignd 25.: thslot happ ning tliu's.across th'eeyes of a wearer, the ends of said of, thewearer'j'said bodyportion terminat ng i integral hbjoklike ends, 26v and 2ladaptedftof'fit,

piece being formedwith integralmeans to attach the shade. toj 'the,earafsaid integral attaching means including 'a'fiap adapted to becrumpled f around theiearsfof the, wearenf. If'fdesire'cl ,faandinserted.intotheopening of the ear toretai'ni saidleyesfia o erativeposition.

narrbw constricted portioncorinectingthehobk V 2'. Arfeyesliadecomprising ia'unitary. piece of like 'ends tojthefbodyi I inlay} aslshoatTZZ andizs', be ifcrinkledlor gathered ,'dur1rig ithef flexible,pliant ,substantially,opaque,material of formation of the device sothat'thiovferall lerigtlijl a tfto' extend'fro'rniear to ear and? of thedevice may be increased,byleiiparidiiigfthe acrosst crinkled areas 22,-and I23: The, eridslfoffthe, being formed h e-we rer, ma mas a saidpiece was integral means, to, attach. the

greaterstrength to-thehofoklike ends; in portions I A very simple,modifrc'atiQh 'dLth present in: mayble gthe'ii'edby stretching.

shownincludes, fa body' portion] 3 tap are SEEPEYJ

